Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Brakkton Booker, NPR

EPA rules aim to slash oil industry methane emissions

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
A natural gas drilling rig's lights shimmer in the evening light near Silt, Colo.
A natural gas drilling rig's lights shimmer in the evening light near Silt, Colo.
David Gilkey

The Obama administration unveiled plans Tuesday that would curb the methane that leaks from facilities related to oil and natural gas production. Methane is one of the greenhouse gases that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere.

Overall, the administration aims to cut emissions from oil and gas production by up to 45 percent over the next decade when compared with 2012 levels. Tuesday's proposals from the Environmental Protection Agency would apply to new natural gas wells, and also require producers to fix leaks in equipment such as pipelines and pumps and other equipment used to transport methane.

NPR's Jeff Brady tells our Newscast unit:

"These proposed regulations are in addition to a rule made final earlier this month to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants — especially those burning coal. This proposal applies to oil and natural gas production, including drilling, processing and transporting these fossil fuels. Often in the process methane escapes into the atmosphere, and that's even more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide."

The EPA's move was not out of the blue. The White House forecast that it would be making changes in January. In the summary of the proposal, citing its own 2009 study, the EPA in its rule said:

"The EPA found that by causing or contributing to climate change, [greenhouse gases] endanger both the public health and the public welfare of current and future generations."

Methane's tendency to leak during oil and gas production makes it a prime target for groups that raise concerns about climate change. Although as NPR's Christopher Joyce pointed out earlier this year, the federal government estimates the leaks are just a small fraction, about 2 percent, of what comes out of the ground. The Wall Street Journal reports the new rules won't be received by the oil and gas industry uniformly.

"The move is expected to reverberate across the industry unevenly as different players in the sector have so far made varying degrees of progress in reducing methane emissions ahead of the proposed rules."

The EPA will hold public hearings and take comment from the public for 60 days before finalizing the rule. Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.